Is the Disability Allowance outdated?4 min read

Is the Disability Allowance outdated?4 min read

My name is Thishni De Silva, and I’m interning at CCS Disability Action as a Policy Analyst Intern. I’m passionate about making a difference. So, when I came across some shocking Disability Allowance statistics, it made me want to write a blog because all disabled people should receive the same amount of financial assistance.

The allowance helps with the costs of medication as well as hospital and doctor’s visits.

So, you would think because it’s New Zealand and it’s 2020, everyone would have the same access, the same amount of allowance and that bias would not exist here, right?

Yet, the data we requested from the Ministry of Social
Development shows some shocking statistics. The amount of allowance is very
different for people based on their ethnicity. Māori, Pasifika, and other ethnicities get less than disabled Pākehā.

People receiving the Disability Allowance aged 18 to 65

Māori

Pākehā

Pasifika

Other

Unspecified

Average weekly rate

$19.42

$22.79

$14.68

$19.56

$18.99

Median weekly rate

$9.95

$13.68

$6.25

$9.80

$9.60

Number of Disability Allowances

25,066

52,577

5,355

16,599

2,802

The graph above shows that Pākehā receive more from the Disability
Allowance than Māori and other ethnicities. While Pākehā receive $22.79, Māori
receive $19.42, and Pasifika receive only $14.68.

It is also worthwhile to examine how Māori are being
disadvantaged in terms of their income.

This data shows that personal income for disabled Māori is
low, with 64% earning less than $30,000, compared with 56% of all disabled people
earning less than $30,000.

Another troubling statistic shows the number of disability
allowances given out to different ethnic groups. For the working-age
population, which is people age 18 to 65, Pākehā received 52,577 disability
allowances while Māori received 25,066 and Pasifika received only 5,355. To put
this into percentages, Māori received 24% of the disability allowances,
Pasifika received only 5%. All other ethnicities received 16% and 3% were
unknown. Yet, Pākehā received 51%.

Then why do Pakeha get more financial assistance than Māori?
One could argue this reflects the population of New Zealand. Yet, the
disability rate is higher for Māori. In the 2013 Disability Survey, after
adjusting for age, Māori had a disability rate of 32%, Pasifika had a rate of
26%, and Pākehā had a rate of 24%. Māori and Pasifika are also more likely to
live in poverty, which means they should be more likely to qualify for the
Disability Allowance because the allowance is income tested.

Maybe unconscious bias plays a role in this inequality. Maybe
Māori and Pasifika are less likely to be told/ know about the allowance or are
less likely to be supported by their GP to apply for higher amounts, or do not
have higher amounts approved by Work and Income. The Disability Allowance,
which was enacted in 1975, has not been signifcantly updated since and it does
not reflect our current diverse society.

If the Government is maintaining an outdated system that
gives out unequal financial assistance to different ethnicities, it is unfair.
All disabled people need equal access to financial assistance regardless of
their ethnicity. We need to be more aware of the inequality that is being
experienced by Māori, Pasifika, and others. Having an outdated system which
provides more money to Pākehā than other ethnicities shows bias.

The solution to this predicament is to redesign and modernize
the system so that it works for everyone in our society. We need to recognize
that this affects a lot of people. Therefore, updating the policy is long
overdue. Modernizing it means giving out the same amount of allowance to every
person who has a disability. People’s ethnicity should have nothing to do with
how much they receive because at the end of the day all disabled people face barriers
in life. As we begin this new decade, it is our responsibility to advocate for
systems that support all people equally. Hence, we need to push the government
to change its outdated policy, so the Disability Allowance becomes more
accessible for everyone.